Destination Moss Beach Tidepools, San Mateo County
Explore the tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, hike through the Cypress Grove, and relax at Seal Cove Beach
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Tide Pools by Cody Tolmasoff
Social Isolation — Day 27
For all the mornings one or both of my kids begged me to not take them to school that day, I’d never imagined the day they would beg me to take them there. My older daughter is in high school, and although next year will look different for her, overall things will be similar to this year.
My youngest, however, is transitioning to middle school. For her, not only will she have to get used to an entirely new way of doing things, but she will have to adjust in a post-shelter in place Corona transitional world.
My kids are both on Spring Break this week, so basically we are now staying at home with less of a schedule. It impressed me with how well with how our schools pivoted remarkably well to distance learning. That pivot was just to get to Spring Break and hope we had flattened the curve enough to resume school afterward. Now with the announcement that school campuses won’t be reopening this school year, I hope our teachers and faculty can pull us through to the finish line.
I feel slightly bad for the students who will miss important events like dances and graduation, but I feel more for the kids in these transitional spots like starting middle school or high school in the fall.
Destination Moss Beach, San Mateo County
Explore the tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Hike through the Cypress Grove
Relax at Seal Cove Beach
Explore the tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
By Elaine with Grey Cats from Mountain View, CA, USA — Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14692161
Exploring the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve tidepools at Moss Beach is a fantastic day for marine exploration. Before you plan a visit, be sure to check the tide table to pick a time when the tide is out. Otherwise, you are simply visiting the beach. At low tide, a geologic rock formation is exposed that is populated with a cornucopia of sea creatures.
This is a great opportunity to break out the rain boots, or shoes you can get wet, and set out to explore half-submerged ruts in the rock formation that house thousands of interesting creatures.
When you arrive, take time to acquaint yourself with the video near the ranger station (in the parking area) Don’t collect anything from the beach, it all needs to stay here, it’s a protected area. And do not approach any resting seal on the beach, the Rangers here usually have a partition up to keep you away.
Hike through the Cypress Grove
Cypress Grove above Fitzgerald Marine Reserve by Cody Tolmasoff
This Monterey Cypress Grove was planted over a century ago. From the Fitzgerald parking area, you can find the trailhead to hike up to the bluffs to the south, over a short bridge. As you approach the Cypress grove, there is a fantastic spot to enjoy the view of the seals below or the coastal landscape.
In the late 1800s, Juergen F. Wienke moved here with aspirations of building a health spa to attract people from San Francisco. The “stimulating, health producing air” of Moss Beach attracted overflow crowds until his hotel burned down in 1911. Wienke planted the Cypress Grove thinking it would be a landmark spot for his visitors to stroll and enjoy, which you still can do today.
Get your camera out, this a great spot for pictures.
Relax at Seal Cove Beach
The stairway down to Seal Cove Beach by Cody Tolmasoff
While the tidepools can be really busy on low tide days with good weather, this little beach a short walk (about a mile from Fitzgerald) is a delightfully secluded hideaway. The one thing to mention right off the bat is no food or drink is allowed, there are signs posted everywhere. It’s not good for marine life to have them scrounge for scraps and litter.
You can find the stairway down to the beach after you finish walking through the cypress grove. If you want a nice spot to step away from the crowds, play in the sand, and maybe dip your toes in the water, this is the spot.
Cody Tolmasoff is an author and publisher for Adventuring.in. He is a recovering programmer and a San Francisco native, raising two daughters, and regularly finding new adventures around the SF Bay Area. This article is an excerpt from an upcoming book, 52 San Francisco Bay Area Weekend Adventures, Day Trips With Your Kids!
Find him on Twitter @codyo, and read his most recent title Adventures in Getting Out on Amazon, filled with advice on successfully getting your family out for day trip adventures.
Originally published on Medium on 9 April 2020